Physopto

I have heard some pretty poor excuses for photographing the stars.......🙉🙈🙊 Hope you are still up there when we get there on Sunday afternoon, hopefully about 1330-1430hrs.🥃 Derek

Hmmmm! Me thinks Damian is starting to edge over to the imaging/dark side. 😱 At least someone is seeing stars. 😀

Yes just our luck that one. I think Damian is using Photoshop......🤣

It is wrong and immoral that one man's greed and contempt for others can probably destroy a science/ hobby and pleasure for the rest of humanity. The American government should stop him! Personally I hope he goes bust. Derek

Just in time for the wind and rain then! Enjoy 🥃🥂🥃😱

Mike's right, be careful we will need the "Dual Purpose Dobsonian Pie Measuring Device" available at the Autumn Galloway Star Camp! So Shussssh! 😈

Aye, Damian loves a good moan, sorry, Moon 😂

Great news James. More the better. You will find we are a welcoming bunch. Not sure if I have it correct but looks like there are now about 😎😂🤣🌚😊🤔🙂😃😁😺😇😉+👧👩‍🦱🙅‍♀️ Last one is the missus ( Oh No !) 🤣 Derek

At last some humour, been missing that for a while with all the bad news. It is one of the most important reasons for the Star Camps. Keep well David. 😃 And yes I know you got a cough 😱. Mike did say you were just jealous of his 😂 Derek

Enhance ???🤣 Political correctness 😂 😱 Derek

Hi all. I am now in a position to respond to questions about the Spring Galloway Star Camp. There is some bad news and some reasonable news. The Bad news :- For those wishing to ATTEND IN A TENT, it is CANCELLED due to the field being completely flooded. It is best to describe it as a quagmire. The good news:- For those who booked up to be on the hard standing it will go ahead if they so wish! So the Star Party is not cancelled completely. There are about 5 pitches on the hard standing available in all. 1 of which is booked by Jim and Dawn. So there are 4 hard standings still available. You must arrange a hard standing place either through Ralph or Lesley ASAP if you wish to attend and please PM me when sorted. I can't lie and unfortunately the weather is not forecast to be much better during the next week and a half. I will be attending from the 23rd as I said before. The reason I could not give any answer up until now, was that Lesley and Ralph have had a family emergency which I will not discus here on SGL. I do wish to see all those who can attend. My best wishes and commiserations to all those who are disappointed, I am sorry it has turned out this way. Derek

I mistakenly posted on the wrong site and have removed the post as it was for the 2020 Spring Star Camp, so disregard this post.

I would request that SGL members wishing to attend the Star Party would refrain from posting messages about the Star Party being cancelled before I have spoken to Lesley ! If you feel you have new information about the weather and possible cancellations please contact me by PM. Any information about the dryness or otherwise is always welcome. Yes the weather is bad and expected to be quite severe over the weekend. I had hoped that the wind if possible would have dried out the field a bit, but it does not look that way at present. I have just been informed about the message above in red that the party is cancelled. Until I speak to Lesley that is not officially the case. I have been busy elsewhere and was expecting to talk to Lesley tomorrow about our chances. I cannot do so until Lesley is back on site. I have spoken to Ralph and he does say it looks likely that we will be disappointed. But i must speak to Lesley first. Please bear with me and I will put out a statement as soon as I can. Derek

Hi FMA, you do not say what telescope you have or are thinking of getting, that would help us to help you. I know you mentioned the William Optics but there are so many scopes to choose from. DO NOT RUSH IT, I took many months and still changed my mind after the initial purchase, It happens!..... If it is a GOTO scope you still need to Polar Align. You can use a Red Dot Finder or a small Finder Scope to initially rough align the scope to the Celestial Pole. I am assuming you are in the Northern Hemisphere, or else it will be the Southern Pole. (Note you have to align the finder device with the scope before doing the rough alignment to the pole, you do this aiming at a local but distant object and get both the scope and alignment device to point at the same object.) After rough alignment you can do either a 1,2 or 3 star alignment depending upon scope mount make and accuracy needed. I can't advise on StarSense, or Ipad, as never used either. Ipad or computer do not eradicate the need for a good polar alignment. Derek

Hi Damian, The weather here in the North East was not so good, but no where near what I think you got. One double glazed window let in the rain on the west side of the house, never seen that before in 30 + years. As I said I have been watching the different weather reports from all over. Generally it seems that after the next few days although the weather will be still very windy over in Kirkinner for a while, it comes with a low precipitation expectancy. So as I said it hopefully will dry out the site even more. Getting closer to the 20th the wind seems to drop off a fair bit. BUT it is way too early for any meaningful prediction that far ahead. I live in hope ☀️🌚 Derek

Thanks for the update Adrian. I am keeping my eye on the weather and am looking closely at all the different long range forecasts. I will contact Lesley later on closer to the date. I think it is a bit too early to say much at present. It is still two weeks until the 23rd and the actual start of the Galloway Star Camp and plenty of time for the site to really dry out even more. The wind from this coming storm will help the ground dry significantly. I will have a better idea in about a weeks time, then I will be in a better position to update everyone about our prospects. It would be appreciated if those who attend early can get in contact with me (PM, Text) or via this forum with on site updates. Just keep praying to the Sun and Fair Weather Gods 😎 I will be there from the 23rd regardless and hope to see as many faces as possible. Don't know about Jaffa Cakes 🤔, but the "amber nectar" will definitely be around and is a prerequisite to any attendance at Scotland's Premiere Star Camp warm room,tent,caravan, errr, even the field....🥃🥃😊. As has happened at many previous Star Camps there are spells that astound and contradict the weather forecasts giving stunning views of the heavens. Looking forwards to seeing everyone. Derek

Hi Carole, These sites do play on ones feelings to do the right thing. But they are a bit like a Pyramid Scheme. I certainly never pass on other email addresses or any names and never will. I also got rid of Facebook some time ago as it spreads so much bad feeling and lies. Far too much aggro for my liking. The rest I just can't be bothered with at all. Once I have done what I want, " Sign the Petition" I set up a "Filter" to automatically BIN all future emails from them, so I never see them at all. But it is a pain never the less. Derek

Yes I have done that, but getting completely fed up with having to re-establish new ones. Just checked my deleted files and replies from these sites have appeared there and the petitions are signed. Found a small worded bit saying "Skip for Now" which I did. Derek

I would support a petition but find the idea that I have to give too much information to do so. I do not want Facebook or any other such rubbish. I will not give out such personal information just to support a petition. Derek

We will have to wait and see just how much it all affects us in so far as visual and imaging astronomy goes. I have spent a great deal of time and money on my hobby and gear. I know many others here in the UK and others around the world are in the same boat, so to speak. Some time ago scientists at the Chilean Observatories were complaining about the light pollution encroaching from towns many miles away from their observatories. No efforts seem to have been made in stopping this so far from any news I have so far heard. Maybe a Multinational Law or some sort of class action will be the only method in the end to stop the pollution of the heavens, as money always seems to speak in the end! I will be selling on all my gear if the beauty of the skies is spoilt for me. I have no interest in wasting my time, money and effort in trying to eradicate satellite trails from my images caused by one ignorant idiot and his delusions of infallibility. Derek

🙂😎🤣😀😁😄😃😆😊😀🙂+👩‍🦱👧 Great news Dai, looking forwards to our meet up and chat again. Now you have found a source of long range weather forecasting It had better be RIGHT !! As we will all be counting on you.....🤔 Derek

Excellent news, be nice to meet you James. 🙂😁😀😄😀😄😀🙂😎🙂+👩‍🦱👩‍🦱 I think that's correct so far. Looking good for the Autumn turnout. Derek

Great news John. See you there. Derek

I have been following the weather reports for Dumfries and Galloway. At present the 16 day forecast shows some rain early in February. The week after the 3rd is followed by a period of drier weather, with very low precipitation. Here,s crossing the fingers folks that it goes our way after that date. ☀️🌑 Derek

Well at least I can do all that in daylight. 🙂 I need to look into it further.